6 of Anthony Bourdain's Favorite Restaurants in the World

Anthony Bourdain was a beloved travel show documentarian and chef. Through his travels and storytelling, he explored the culture, history, and soul of destinations around the world, and shared tales of a truly diverse array of people and locations with his fans.

Bourdain was known for loving humble roadside shacks as much or more than gourmet restaurants, and he wasn’t shy about singing the praises of the places that struck his fancy. While he often expressed affection for the places he visited, Bourdain got crystal clear about his favorite places in the world in an essay called “13 Places to Eat Before You Die,” published in Men’s Health in 2009. There, he detailed some of his favorite restaurants in the United States as well as his top recommendations around the world. He’s also praised a number of select restaurants in various interviews. 

Here are some of Bourdain’s favorite restaurants outside of the United States, perfect for when you want to pair an extraordinary meal with a vacation to an incredible place—unless, of course, you’re already living in one of them.

Sukiyabashi Jiro // Tokyo, Japan

“The best sushi on earth? Maybe,” Bourdain wrote in Men’s Health of this tiny, 10-seat sushi bar in Tokyo. He later told The Guardian that if he had to have one last meal, it would be at this subterranean joint, which today is noted for being near-impossible for the general public to book. “Ideally, my last meal would be at Sukiyabashi Jiro, a tiny sushi bar below street level in Tokyo,” he said in the 2016 feature. “It serves some of the finest quality sushi anywhere on the planet.”

In a blog shared on his Parts Unknown website, Bourdain expounded on his love for the sprawling Japanese capital city. “If I had to eat only in one city for the rest of my life, Tokyo would be it,” he wrote. “Most chefs I know would agree with me. For those with restless, curious minds, fascinated by layer upon layer of things, flavors, tastes and customs, which we will never fully be able to understand, Tokyo is deliciously unknowable.”

Souk el Tayeb and Tawlet // Beirut, Lebanon

Bourdain was always dedicated to finding and sharing stories of the people and purposes behind the restaurants he ate at, and on his visit to Beirut, he spent time at Souk el Tayeb, a farmer’s market that doubles as a social enterprise where local farmers can sell their goods. He also ate at its kitchen, Tawlet, which serves food alongside stories from local chefs that detail their traditions and the history of their cooking styles. He described the restaurant as a  “sort of utopian showcase” for Beirut’s chefs, and his visit there emphasized the importance of honoring culinary traditions and cultural history amid violence and war.

In general, Bourdain was a fan of the Lebanese capital. “For whatever reason, even with all the problems and all the terrible things that have happened here over the years, I step off the plane in Beirut and I feel strangely, inexplicably comfortable, happy, at home,” he said. 

St. John // London, England

Bourdain also sang this London establishment’s praises in his Men’s Health feature, saying it serves as proof that English food isn’t bad after all. “If I had to die with half a bite of anything hanging out of my mouth, it would probably be the roast bone marrow in Fergus Henderson’s plain-white dining room at St. John,” he wrote. “Scooped out and slathered onto a crust of toasted bread and sprinkled with sea salt, it’s simple yet luxurious.” He also praised the fact that the place serves meat from animals raised well and “treated with love and respect.”

Sin Huat Eating House // Geylang, Singapore

This Singaporean restaurant also made Bourdain’s Men’s Health feature. “It's grimy looking, the service can be less than warm, the beer is served in a bottle (often with ice), and the tables sit halfway into the streets of Geylang, Singapore's red-light district,” Bourdain wrote. “But the crab bee hoon—giant Sri Lankan beasts cooked with a spicy mystery sauce and noodles—is pure messy indulgence.”

Bún Bò Huế Kim Chau // Huế, Vietnam

Bourdain frequently traveled to Vietnam, and quite famously dined with then-President Barack Obama at Hanoi’s Bún Chả Hương Liên in 2016. Yet it took Bourdain almost a decade of travel before he made it to Hue, a city located in central Vietnam that is home to the remains of the nation’s Nguyễn dynasty’s central palace. During his visit, Bourdain fell for a dish of bún bò Huế soup served at the Bún Bò Huế Kim Chau, in Dong Ba market.

“In the hierarchy of delicious, slurpy stuff in a bowl, bún bò Huế is at the very top,” he said, per The Guardian. “An elaborate broth of mixed bones scented with lemongrass, spice, and fermented shrimp paste … rice noodles heaped with tender, slow-cooked beef shank, crabmeat dumplings, pig’s foot, and huyet-blood cake. Garnished with lime wedge, cilantro, green onions, chilli sauce, shredded banana blossoms, and mung bean sprouts … the greatest soup in the world … as sophisticated and complex a bowl of food as any French restaurant. It really is just the top of the mountain.”

Happy Paradise // Hong Kong

While Bourdain might have been a massive fan of Tokyo’s cuisine, he was also extremely fond of Hong Kong. “I’m constantly asked, ‘What’s the greatest food city in the world?’ And I always say that no one can say you’re wrong if you say Hong Kong,” he said in an episode of No Reservations, according to The Guardian. In particular, he relished the modern take on classic Cantonese cuisine served by the restaurant Happy Paradise, calling their sauteed prawns with pan-roasted pumpkin and array of other delicacies “truly, stunningly delicious.” The restaurant has since closed, but its chefs still participate in various pop-ups and events around the world.